Sheet-feeding devices for wrapping machines



'M. M. GUGGENHEIM I SHEET-FEEDING DEVICES FOR WRAPPING MACHINES Filed April 29, 1955 Oct. 8, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Def; 8, 1957 M. M. GUGGENHEIM SHEET-FEEDING DEVICES FOR WRAPPING MACHINES Filed April 29, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 UnitedStatesPatent National Equipment Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 29, 1955, Serial No. 505,013 Claims. (Cl. 271-45) This invention relates to sheet-feeding or transporting devices, and more particularly to a device in which sheet material sections, such as are usually severed from a roll of sheet material, are successively conveyed to a position where the same are to be wrapped about boxes or other objects intended to be enclosed by the sheet material sections.

In certain types of box-wrapping machines, and particularly those in which sheets of cellophane or other sheet material of thin paper or of materials of similar characteristics, are wrapped about boxes, the sheet material is usually drawn from a supply roll; is out oil into lengths or sheets of a required size to fit the boxes to be wrapped, and the sheets are successively moved or conveyed to a point above the boxes, which are carried upward on elevating means to enable the sheets to be folded about them. In the co-pending application of Philip G. Schlemmer, Serial Number 404,430, filed January 18, 1954, now Patent No. 2,751,982, is shown a mechanism by which sheet material drawn from a supply roll is severed into sheets of required size. The present invention contemplates the provision of transport means by which such sheets are successively carried away from such a cutting means or from other means and are brought to the wrapping station.

'It is an object of the present invention to provide sheettransport means which will positively move each sheet to wrapping position after the sheet is cut off from its supply roll. It is another object of the invention to provide transport means which will retain the sheets flatly and smoothly during transport and present the sheets in such flat formation to the boxes as the boxes are elevated into the initial wrapping position.

It is another object of the invention to provide means by which sheets of various lengths can be accurately carried to wrapping position, and to provide simple adjustment means arranging for the feed of sheets of difierent Widths. 1

:It is another object of the invention to provide simplified means by which sheets of different length will be transported for the required distance to properly position such sheets relatively to the boxes to be wrapped, and to provide means by which the sheet-transporting mechanism can be adjusted to thereby enable the differently-sized sheets to be moved for the required distance to enable them to be properly wrapped about the boxes.

With these objects, and other objects to be hereinafter set forth in view, I have devised the arrangement of parts to be describedand more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

-In.the accompanying drawings, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of one of the feed devices for operation adjacent to one edge of the sheet being fed;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of .a portion of the companion feed mechanism which operates along the sheet adjacent to its second edge, the same being shown in a larger scale thaninFig. 1;

Fig. 2a is a' continuation of the structure of Fig. 2;

Fig. 3 is a sectional View, taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figs. 2 and 2a;

Fig-3011s a continuation of the structure shown in ice Fig. 3, and Fig. 4 is a top plan view of portions of the structures of Figs. 1, 2 and 3, showing the adjusting means therefor.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates in Fig. 3, a portion of one of the cellophane or other sheets to be fed from left to right. The devices which feed the sheet act to engage the sheet adjacent to its side edges, one of the devices being shown in Fig. 1. The same includes an elongated fixed or stationary bar 2 supported in any suitable manner, one of its supports being the rod indicated at 3 in Fig. 1. The bar 2 carries the guide members shown at 70. Near one end of the bar 2 is carried the tending about the drums 16 and 17 (Figs. 3 and 3a) so that the rollers, by their own weight, press the wrapper 1 down on the face of the belt and cause the wrapper to travel toward the right along with the belt.

At 18 is shown a slidably mounted bar, the same being movably attached to the stationary bar 2 and being adjustably slidable longitudinally thereof. The slidable bar 18 has an arm 19, pivoted to the bar 18 as indicated at 20, and a roller 21 is rotatively carried on the pin or axle 22 extending from the arm 19. Also pivoted at 23 on the slidable bar 18 is an arm 24 provided with the pin or axle 26 on which a roller 25 is rotatively mounted. Also carried by the arm 24 is an inclined plate or cam member 27, positioned to extend above and cover the top of theroller 25. The rollers 22 and 25 are gravityoperated to hold the wrapper against the belt 15 and cause the wrapper to be moved along by the belt.

As above stated, the wrappers to be moved are each engaged adjacent to their opposite edges by properly spaced-apart feeding means of which one unit is shown in Fig. l. The second unit is that shown in Figs. 2 and 2a, and as shown in Fig. 4, this unit is located parallel to that shown in Fig. 1 and spaced therefrom for a distance according to the width of the wrappers to be fed. The second unit is substantially similar to that of Fig. l and is provided with the stationary bar 32 (similar to the bar 2), supported in suitable manner, one of said supports being shown at 33. The rollers shown at 34, 35 and 36 are similar to those shown at 4, 5 and 6. Rollers 34, 35 and 36 are respectively hung from the arms 38, 41 and 44. The rollers shown at 42 and 45 are hung from the arms 46 and 47, which arms are pivotally attached to the sliding bar 48, which is similar in construction to the bar 18. An inclined cam plate 57, corresponding to that shown at 27 in Fig. 1, is secured to the arm 46 in a manner to locate it over the top of the roller 42. A guide plate 72 and angle guides 71 are carried by the movable bar 48. A guide plate 72a is carried by movable bar 18.

As the wrapper enters between the rollers 4 and 34 it will be moved successively under rollers 5 and 35; then under rollers 6 and 36; next under rollers 25 and 42 and finally, under rollers 21 and 45. As it leaves rollers 21 and 45, it has passed under all of the rollers and all rollerpressure upon the forward end of the wrapper has ceased and the wrapper contacts stops not shown, so that the wrapper is then no longer moved by the belts 15 but remains stationarily on the belts until it is contacted by the box to be wrapped and the initiation of the wrapping steps begins.

When a shorter length of wrapper is to be fed by the mechanism described, it is necessary for the wrapper to be positioned under the rollers for a longer distance to enable the wrapper to reach the point at which it is halted, in time to be picked up by the ascending box about which it is to be wrapped. The described construction is provided with means by which the slides 18 and "48 and the rollers 25 and 21 and 42 and 45 carried respectively thereby, can be adjusted to position these rollers closer to or farther away from the rollers carried by the respective stationary bars 2 and 32. For this purpose, the slidable bar 18 is provided at one end with a frame 58 carrying a rack 59. Similarly, the slidable bar 32 is provided at one end with the frame 60 carrying a rack 61. A rotatable pinion rod 62, rotative in suitable supporting means, one portion of which is shown at 63, is in mesh with both of the racks 59 and 61, and this pinion rod is rotative by manual operation of the knob 64 secured upon it. Thus, when the pinion rod 62 is rotated, the slides 18 and 48 will be simultaneously moved either toward or away from the rollers carried respectively from the stationary bars 2 and 32, resulting in closer or more distant spacing of the rollers carried respectively on the stationary bars and slidable bars. A calibrated scale 75 on top of the rack 59 used in co-operation with the pointer 76 on the stationary bar 2, enables accurate adjustment to be secured.

When the larger boxes are to be wrapped, longer Wrappers are consequently needed, and this requires that the rollers carried by the slidable bars 18 and 48 shall be positioned closer to the rollers carried by the stationary bars 2 and 32. In fact, when some of the larger sheets are required to be fed, the slides 18 and 48 are required to be moved to the left to such an extent that the roller 6 will pass beyond roller 25 and roller 36 will pass beyond roller 42. Thus, when roller 6 reaches the inclined plate 27 it will ride up on the same and will move above and clear the roller 25 below the plate. Similarly, roller 36 will ride up on the inclined plate 57 and clear the roller 42 located below that plate. This will reduce the period of drive of the wrappers by the belts 15.

Both of the units of the structure are moved together and are similarly and simultaneously adjusted by the operation of the pinion rod 62, and the rollers on the bar 2 are in axial alignment with those on the companion bar 32. In like manner, the rollers carried by the slidable bar 18 are in axial alignment with those carried by A the slidable bar 48.

By the arrangement described, the wrappers of different sizes are quickly and smoothly fed through the apparatus from the point where they are severed from the roll, to the point of wrapping initiation, and wrappers of various lengths to accommodate boxes of different sizes are readily handled by the Wrapper-feeding means described.

Having described a single embodiment of the invention, it is obvious that the same is not to be restricted thereto, but is broad enough to cover all structures coming within the scope of the annexed claims.

What I claim is:

1. A sheet-feeding device comprising a continuously moving belt, a stationary bar mounted above the same, rollers hung from the stationary bar and in frictional contact with a sheet resting on the belt to thereby cause the sheet to be carried along with the belt, a sliding bar movably attached to the fixed bar and slidable along the latter bar, means for adjusting the slidable bar longitudinally of the fixed bar, the slidable bar carrying rollers which press the sheet against the belt, and means for automatically elevating a roller on the fixed bar at a predetermined point in the adjusting movement of the slidable bar along the length of the fixed bar.

2. A sheet-feedingdevice comprising a travelling belt upon which the sheet to be transported is rested, a bar located above the belt, said bar carrying rollers resting by gravity upon the sheet and forcing it into contact with the !belt to thereby cause the belt to move the sheet along with it, the bar being stationary, a movable part slidable relatively to the bar, rollers carried by the stationary bar, rollers carried by the movable part, means for 'adjusta'bly moving the movable part with relation to the stationary bar to thereby bring the two groups of rollers toward or away from one another, and means for automatically elevating and thereby guiding some of the rollers past other rollers.

3. A sheet-feeding device comprising a travelling element on which a sheet to be fed is carried, a fixed bar, a slidable bar mounted thereon and slidably adjustable relatively to the fixed bar, a plurality of rollers 'on the fixed bar dependent therefrom and maintained by gravity in contact with the sheet on the travelling element to thereby hold the sheet on said travelling element and cause the sheet to be moved thereby, a plurality of rollers on the slidable bar and dependent therefrom and also gravityoperated to maintain the shet in contact with the travelling element, means for longitudinally adjusting the slidable bar along the length of the fixed bar to thereby move the rollers carried by it either toward or away from those carried by the stationary bar, and cam means for causing a roller on the stationary bar to be automatically elevated to pass over the top of a roller on the slidable bar when the slidable bar is adjusted to a predetermined position relatively to the fixed bar.

4. A sheet-feeding device comprising, a travelling element on which a sheet to be fed is carried, a fixed bar located above the element, a slidable bar mounted thereon and slidably adjustable relatively to the fixed bar by rack and pinion adjustment, a plurality of rollers on the fixed bar dependent therefrom and maintained by gravity in contact with the sheet on the travelling element to thereby hold the sheet against said travelling element and cause the sheet to be moved thereby, a plurality of rollers carried from the movable bar and dependent therefrom and also gravity-operated to maintain the sheet in contact with the travelling element, means for longitudinally adjusting the slidable bar along the length of the fixed bar to thereby move the rollers carried by said slidable bar either toward or away from those carried by the stationary bar, said adjusting means consisting of a rack at one end of said movable bar and a manually-operated pinion in engagement therewith, and cam means for elevating a roller on the stationary bar to cause it to pass over the top of a roller on the slidable bar when the slidable bar reach-es an established position 'of adjustment relatively to the stationary bar.

5. A sheet-feeding device comprising, a pair of parallel belts and means for moving the same, a frame located above each belt, each of the frames consisting of a fixed bar and a movable bar adjusta'bly slidable relatively to the fixed bar, each fixed bar having rollers which are gravityheld in contact with a sheet extending between the two belts, each movable bar having rollers which are also gravity-held into contact with the sheet, the movable bars carrying deflect-or means upon which the rollers on the fixed bars automatically ride when the rollers on the movable bars are moved toward the rollers on the fixed bars to a predetermined extent, and manually-operated rack and pinion means for simultaneously adjusting the two movable bars along the length of the fixed bars to which they are attached to thereby simultaneously move the rollers on both movable bars .either toward or away from those mounted on the fixed bars.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,134,550 Novick Apr. 6, 1915 1,170,053 Droitcour Feb. 1, 1916 1,253,054 Labombarde Jan. 8, 1918 2,284,430 Iirousek May 26, 1942.

FOREIGN PATENTS 327,651 Great Britain Apr. 10, 1930 

